StarCrossed
by Washu-Takahashi
Summary: Anita and Jayden, a young couple, come from warring families in a land of fantasy. The story is much like Romeo and Juliet, where the two try to stop the war, but with an ending you'll have to read to see...
1. The Gracious Girl

A young girl woke in a bedroom filled with luxury. The room was majestic in its own way; after all, it belonged to a royal. The walls were painted a particular shade of cream, not quite white, though very close. White silk curtains hung closed against two large windows, and signs of early morning shown through them. If one listened closely, they'd be able to hear the birds singing skillfully, and might even be compelled to join in the song if they could hold a note.

The room was adorned with stylish wooden desks and shelves craved with exquisite detail that held a great deal of books, all of which were organized by genre and then title. A large bed was placed in the center of the room, though it was pushed back against a wall so it wouldn't look out of place. The covers and pillows were sown of golden silk, and four large wooden pillars that made up the canopy held up a pale gold mosquito net that obscured the girl inside from prying eyes.

The girl herself had flowing golden blonde hair which reached to her knees and hung loosely around her as she stirred herself awake. As she blinked, light blue eyes focused and took in their surroundings. The girl had lived in this room her entire life, and the sight was nothing new for her.

She pushed aside the netting that surrounded her bed and stepped lightly onto the floor. Her movements greatly resembled those of a dancer's. Her actions were fluid, not forced, and each step seemed to be a continuation of the previous. In her white silk gown, she appeared rather stunning, like a swan who'd just taken flight. The gown hung loosely on her tiny frame, flowing quietly about her. She had no need to call for any help to dress, as two young maids were already stationed at her door, ready to assist her. She'd told them time and again that she was perfectly capable of dressing herself and did not require their assistance, but had given up on the movement as of recently.

The two helped her slip out of the gown, and quickly helped her into a blue outfit that was rather simple, but still gorgeous. White lace rimmed the short sleeves and bottom of the dress, and the maids slipped a pair of white heels onto the girl's feet to match. Finally, they put began to put up the girl's hair, but she shooed them away before they had a chance to do anything with her golden locks.

The girl sighed, relieved to finally be free of the maids. She appreciated their hard work, but often wished she had more alone time. On her own, she brushed gently through her long masses of hair, staring blankly into the mirror. It didn't take too long to brush through it, as it was well kept and already as soft as a deer's coat. Once that was done, she proceeded on to applying her make-up. She didn't wear much, just a light blue eye shadow, a pale pink lipstick, some mascara, and the tiniest bit of blush. She'd never had much need for blush, since she found herself doing it often enough at silly mistakes.

She stood, minding her heels. She'd been walking in high-heels through the majority of her life, but still managed to trip every once in a while. She pushed back her curtains, letting the sunlight flood in. Springtime had only just begun, and all of the fluffy white snow had been melted. Looking outside, the girl could see flowers beginning to bloom, and trees reclaiming their lost green. Two blue birds were fighting over a worm, causing the girl to giggle at their small squabble. Compared to the rest of the kingdom, the palace had by far the most beautiful land.

Ready and not able to escape the outside world any longer, the girl dropped the curtain; though she left it hanging to the side so sunshine could warm her room. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then exited her room and headed for the dinning hall. Her parents would think something was wrong with her if she didn't eat breakfast, though something was wrong. Something was very wrong indeed.

This girl, a princess, lived in a land known as Phyre. The land's name could not have been truer to its implication, as it meant fire. The land of Phyre had been controlled by two major families for countless years; the Regans and the Parrish. The girl belonged to the Regan family, which was at war with the Parrish. The two families had been warring with each other for decades, fighting for a reason no one knew any longer. Since the purpose of the fighting had been lost throughout time, the two families made a new purpose to keep the fighting alive; land. Currently, the Regans held just a tinge more land than the Parrish, but that could all change with one small skirmish.

The girl was strong-willed, but weak-minded. She hated the mere thought of bloodshed, and sometimes fainted at the sight of it. She wanted nothing more than for the war to end peacefully, but her father refused to hear of any such thing. In order for the war to end, one side would have to forfeit, and he refused to do such because of his 'pride.'

The girl let out one more sigh, then put on her best smile as she stepped into the dinning hall. "Good morning. Mother. Father," She commented, bowing her head slightly to each as she spoke their names.

Her mother, Queen Amadis Regan, merely gave a small nod back. Looked at her mother, it was obvious to see where the girl obtained many of her features. Her mother also had golden blonde hair, though hers was pulled back into a tight bun at the top of her head. She also shared her blue eyes, though her mother's had dulled to a pale gray over the years. Hers mothers facial features were much sharper than her own, and her grace surpassed any the young girl had seen in her fifteen years. Her mother was named for the God of Love, though the girl could not see the resemblance between the two. Her mother ruled over a country that was at war with itself, and the princess failed to see where the love might have been in there. Still, she loved her mother dearly, and often looked to her for advice.

Her father, King Ranvir Regan, continued with eating his chunk of boar meat as if he hadn't heard a thing. His hair was an ugly shade of brown, and looked rough from lack of care, like tree bark. His eyes used to be a lovely gold color, but those had also faded to the point where they looked like brown murky waters. He still carried a royal air about him, though he looked awfully tired in his own way. He was named after a hero of battle, and was one himself. It had become a sort of tradition that each king should have to prove himself in battle before taking the throne. Luckily, the girl's father had escaped with nothing but a scar that ran from his forehead, across his nose, and to the other side of his cheek. He was big man, who was in need of a good workout. Not that the girl or servants would ever tell him that, which left him blissfully unaware of his being overweight. The girl respected her father, but viewed him more as a king than a parent, since his people always came before his daughter. She was always bit afraid of the man, since he looked like he could break her in two, a fact that she'd never once doubted.

The girl sat down at her place at the table, making sure her dress wouldn't wrinkle as she did so. Two sunny-side up eggs along with a slice of buttered toast were already laid out in front of her. She glanced at her father as she took a sip of the water she'd been given.

She wanted greatly to tell him the thoughts the often ran through her head. Her dreams of peace and prosperity. A land where those of the Parrish and Regans could live together in complete harmony. She could easily envision children running happily through fields as they played their games of hide and seek, rather than the young boys just come of age walking into the military academy scared for their lives. She pictured mothers and fathers raising children who'd never need to know the cruelties of war, who'd never _have_ to know those pains. Unfortunately for the moment, it was nothing more than a dream. Though it was a dream she'd do anything to make reality.

Somehow, she'd change her father's mind and end this pointless war. She _had_ to. And she would. And the name of the girl who'd sworn to cease the bloodshed? Princess Anita Regan.


	2. Jayden

On the other side of the Kingdom, a boy, no, a _man_, had also awoken from his night's sleep. Jayden had only recently reached the age of manhood, seventeen. Now he had more responsibilities, and things regarding him were taken in a much more serious light. No longer could he act without thinking and have it blamed on being a child. Knowing this, he had his manservant wake a good half hour before he was due at arrive at breakfast.

Jayden rose out of his bed, looking at his surroundings. Having reached the age of manhood, all of his seemingly childish possessions had been removed. In a way, the room looked very bare now. It lacked any source of natural light, save for a small half-circle window positioned high on his wall. However, that wasn't to say the room was dark in any way. Small but exceedingly bright lights were mounted in all four corners of his room, which lit the entire space, even with its extra-large size. The lights revealed almost no shadows, as there wasn't much of anything in the boy's room to cast shadows. His crimson colored king-sized bed was in one corner of his room, and there wasn't anything else of interest throughout the room, save for two doors. One led to a hallway, and the other to his walk-in closet.

Jayden stepped into his closet, which was big enough to put a whole other bedroom inside. His clothes had already been chosen and laid out for him, and he made no argument as he put them on. He wore a plain black shirt underneath a red jacket which came across as rather royal looking, along with black slacks. To match, he slipped on a pair of black socks and shoes.

Also in his closet was a small vanity, which held only a few objects. Aside from the large mirror that was carved into it, there was only a matching comb and brush, a few ponytails, and some hair-gel, which Jayden only bothered wearing to formal events. He took the comb, which was red of course, and ran it through his sleek black hair twice before putting it back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His hair was only just long enough for this look, his ponytail only being about two inches long.

Jayden's parents had always seemed fancy him in the color red, and bought him little else. They'd even gone so far as to name him 'little fire', which he found to be downright silly. He'd never tell them so, but thought of it often.

Having finished, and only having used ten of his thirty minutes, Jayden headed down for breakfast. As he did so, he looked carefully around him. Since he'd come of age, everything seemed to be so much different. The tapestries hanging along the walls suddenly told an old story of war instead of simply being colorful pictures. The red carpets reminded him of pools of blood on the battlefield. Unfortunately, he'd already been exposed to that sight. The day of his seventeenth birthday his father had taken him out to the battlefield so he could understand the true intensity of the war. The sight had made Jayden's stomach churn, and he wished he'd never have to see such a display of 'heroics' again, though he knew such views were just wishful thinking.

Jayden made it down to the dinning room with another fifteen minutes until breakfast would be served. In his eyes, this was right on time. His father had always chastised him, saying, _'If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. If you're late, it's unacceptable.'_ Being so, Jayden had learned about punctuality at an early age, seeing as timing was everything in war, and his father knew nothing else.

Jayden took his seat at the table, which was on the opposite side from his father, who'd already taken his seat. To Jayden, it always seemed like his father was miles away at the other end of the table, which made speech between the two near impossible. Time to eat was time to be quiet and sort threw one's thoughts, or so his father'd always said when Jayden tried to pressure him into answering questions.

Farrell Parrish, Jayden's father, was served first as a sign of respect. The man had once shared Jayden's raven black hair, though it was now tinted with streaks of silver. However, their eyes were still the same color, a brilliant shade of deep chocolate brown. Farrell's face was plastered in wrinkles that weren't often found in men his age. After all, he'd only just reached thirty-five. It was clearly the face of a man who'd seen more than his share of the world's cruelties, and lost more than most.

Jayden's memory of the moment was faded, as he'd only been five at the time, but he could still remember having his mother and her unborn child, his would-be sister, assassinated before his very eyes. It hadn't concerned Jayden much, as he was too young to understand the intensity of the situation, but it had nearly killed his father, mentally at least. Jayden often wondered what his life would be like if his mother had survived, seeing as she was not in favor of the war. Maybe she'd have already convinced his father to put a stop to the fighting, just maybe.

"Good morning father," Jayden spoke simply before touching his food. He tucked his napkin into the collar of his shirt, and then began to eat what had been placed before him. This morning there was sausage and an assortment of fruits, which Jayden would happily eat. He enjoyed the meat and fruit equally, being one of few who were fond of the natural sweetness of fruit.

"Indeed," was all his father said in reply. However, Jayden could hear much more. The unspoken words rang throughout his mind, _'Indeed. It's a good morning since I don't hear any gunfire yet.'_

The two finished their meals in silence, at nearly the same time.

"I shall be going to the market today to see how our people are faring," Jayden spoke only loud enough for his father to hear across the table. "I'll have Christopher with me, so you needn't worry," he added quickly, knowing him being by himself worried his father. Any good father was always worried about his son's welfare during that time.

King Parrish nodded. "Alright, just remember to be back before sunset."

Jayden nodded, forcing his smile to wait until he'd left his father's presence to appear. Christopher was Jayden's greatest friend, and also a caretaker of sorts. No one knew and was trusted with more of Jayden's secrets than him. However, he was not smiling to have a chance to be with his friend, he was smiling for a very different reason; the chance to _not_ be with his friend.

Jayden walked down to the palace's entrance, where he met Christopher.

"Good morning, your highness," Chris greeted with a smirk. It was a sort of joke between the two of them. Christopher always greeted Jayden formally around others, but when they were alone the two were just teenaged boys unlike any other.

"Same to you, Chris," Jayden grinned in response. If only everything could have been as simple as their friendship. The two were an obvious match, and did most everything together.

Christopher had brown eyes, same as Jayden, though his were a much brighter color. His hair was a dirty blonde color, and reminded Jayden of wet sand. Both boys were well-built; as they had been designed to one day enter the battlefield. Chris was twenty, three years older than Jayden, which made perfect sense since Christopher was meant to be a care-taker for Jayden. However, the two would never view each other as master and servant, but rather as brothers.

The two headed for the market, as Jayden had promised his father, then began to slow until they blended in with the rest of the crowd. Away from the watchful eyes of the guards, the men slipped away from the throng of people and into the nearby bushes. Out of sight, they slipped even further into the forest.


	3. The Meeting

Anita finished her breakfast, making small-talk with her mother all the while. Her father, King Regan, had never been much of a talker during meals, and that had come to be a good thing in Anita's mind. Whenever her father spoke at the table, it always seemed to lead to talk of war, causalities, and impending dangers. To her fortune, he had yet to speak this morning. No real battles had broken out as of recently, only small skirmishes, and all was good and well in the kingdom.

"I'll be away today. Cordelia and I are going to see a play, if that's alright with you?" she asked cautiously, being careful to choose her words wisely as to not upset either of her parents.

Her mother, Amadis, nodded. "That's fine. You deserve a chance to get out once in a while. Wouldn't you agree, dear?" she replied, glancing at her king for approval.

King Regan nodded. He didn't speak, as usual. If his queen was fine with the idea, he had no objections.

Anita smiled happily as she stood. She kissed both her mother and father, and then curtsied before exiting the room.

Waiting outside of the dinning hall was Cordelia. The girl had red hair tinted gold that fell to her waist. She was always a bit of an odd girl, and loved styling it in any way possibly. Today, she'd managed to make it appear somewhat normal by putting it in two small ponytails at the base of her neck. After all, it'd need to be kept out of the way for the day's adventure. She was sporting a simple dress which greatly resembled the one Anita wore; only hers was a brown color with gold accents instead of blue. Anita marveled at how well it matched her hair and pale green eyes.

"So what did they say, what did they say!?" she splurred out quickly but quietly, her words melting together in Anita's ears.

Anita let out the tiniest giggle. "We're going to a play!" she responded just as quick.

Cordelia grinned. Of course they weren't really going to a play. Cordelia had a passion for acting, but refused to attend a play she was not in. That being so, she knew Anita had something much better in store for them.

Anita pressed a finger to her lips and winked, signaling for Cordelia to keep quiet. She grabbed her friend's wrist, and both took off towards the castle's entrance. Each had to concentrate to hold back a stream of giggles. Once at the entrance, they immediately dove into the nearby brush, avoiding the eyes of any guards who might try to follow them. They snuck along the path, and eventually made their way across the street and into the nearby woods.

Far enough away from the busy streets, the two girls stopped and looked at each other. Cordelia was the first to break down in a fit of laughter, and Anita soon followed. It'd been a long while since their last escape, and both were thrilled to be away from the watchful eyes of Anita's parents.

Cordelia finally calmed down, and Anita followed suit. "Come Anita, we must be on our way. Wouldn't want to be late," Cordelia chuckled. The two bounded even further into the woods, until they heard other voices. Two male voices, to be exact. Both girls slowed, listening carefully.

"I'm telling you, it was back _there_!" Christopher called out in an annoyed tone as he gestured behind him.

"Whatever you say," retorted Jayden without much of a fuss. He was royalty, therefore, he was right. He was always right, even when he was wrong, or so his father'd said. He kept walking forward, and only stopped when he heard a branch snap, a noise which neither him nor Chris had produced. "Who's there?!" he called out, placing his right hand over the sword at his side. It wouldn't have been that unlikely for a member of the Regan's troops to be in the woods, so he had to keep alert at all times.

Anita was first to step out from the bushes. Under other circumstances, she would have kept hidden and prayed that the man who'd called out wasn't a soldier sent by the Parrish to assassinate her. However, she knew the man who'd called out quite well.

Jayden visually relaxed as he saw the girl, and the corners of his mouth were pulled up into a smile. "Anita!" he called out happily as he rushed to the girl's side, pulling her into a bear hug.

"T-too t-tight!" she breathed out, laughing with the little air she had left.

Jayden laughed along with her and loosened his grip, though he kept his arms wrapped around Anita's waist. "I haven't seen you in _ages_! I was worried your parents had thrown you into a cage or something," he chuckled.

Chris sighed, but smiled. Well, his job was done, now onto the next one. He was to leave and give the two friends some time alone, but he knew better than to depart on his own. "Come on Cordelia, I know you're hiding back there."

Cordelia rose to her feet and huffed in defiance. "Just _once_ could you let me stay hidden in peace?" she grumbled. "Just _one time _I'd like to know what actually goes on between these too, since Anita refuses to tell me _anything_," She added snappishly.

Anita let out a small giggle as she pushed herself free of Jayden. "How many times must I tell you, there's nothing to tell? We only talk," she stated truthfully with a smile no one could mistakes for being false. She wasn't much of a liar anyways, so best to tell the truth.

Chris chuckled, and then made his way to Cordelia's side. "Come now, best to leave them alone," he explained simply, taking Cordelia gently by the hand and leading her away despite her many, sometimes violent, protests.

Once Cordelia's complaints were out of earshot, Anita and Jayden both looked at each other and laughed lightly. Both knew the truth, nothing really went on between them. For Anita, all was as it should be and the world was in perfect balance. As for Jayden, he wished Anita would pay more attention to detail. No matter for much he flattered her, or what presents he brought, the girl never quite seemed to understand his feelings. However, he was too much of a gentleman to come right out with it and put Anita in an awkward situation.

Anita sat down on a nearby rock, which was rather clean, despite the fact that it should have been coated in moss. "So, how have you been doing? I'm assuming your father's in good health. If not, I'm sure we would have caught wind of that news by now," Anita stated simply, smiling her usual little smile.

Jayden nodded. "Father's doing well. Or, at least as well as a man running a war could be," he replied, his smile revealing some of his hidden sorrows. Thank the sky his father was in good health. If not, then Jayden would have been forced to take the throne and lead his men into battle, something he wasn't quite sure he'd be able to do with Anita's people on the opposing side.

One might wonder how two children coming from such opposite backgrounds could be friends, or how they could even meet in the first place. To them, it was ancient history. For Cordelia and Christopher, it was still a miracle of sorts. Cordelia had convinced Anita to sneak away from home on the same day that Jayden had dragged Chris into the forest despite his many complaints. Cordelia had run ahead of Anita unintentionally, and Jayden had raced off ahead of Chris. While Anita sat to catch her breath, Jayden had run out of the nearby bushes and stepped on her hand. Being a gentleman even at the young age of eight, Jayden had stayed by Anita's side to comfort her until the sting in her hand faded and her tears slowed. By then, Cordelia and Chris had found them.

The four children ranging from age eleven to six spent the rest of the day together, playing in the forest. It wasn't until much later that anyone had thought to introduce themselves. Only Chris reacted to their names at first. He'd pulled Jayden back from the girls, glaring them down. Cordelia was second to realize which families the two royals belonged to. She glared right back at Chris and viciously spat, "Oh, what, after bein' with us for three hours ya suddenly think we're gonna kill ya?!" Even at a young age, Cordelia was still her own person.

After that, everyone relaxed and Jayden and Anita often snuck out to see each other. Christopher still wasn't fond of the idea, but he wouldn't tell a soul, and Jayden knew it. Cordelia was a hopeless romantic, and often assisted Anita in her escapes.

Jayden plucked a flower out of a nearby tree. It was the purest shade of white, with seven petals. Seven had always been Jayden's lucky number, ever since he first discovered the flower in the trees and had its name and meaning revealed to him. Jayden had been told it was a Kiyah, and it was supposed to bring good luck in love. It'd yet to do so for him, but Jayden wasn't one for giving up, even after years of trying. "For my princess," he spoke quietly as he bowed, offering the flower to Anita.

Anita giggled quietly, accepting the flower. "My favorite," she replied happily. The first flower she'd ever been given was this very one, from Jayden. It was a fond memory of her dear friend.

Jayden sensed something thick in the air, and glanced up at the sky. His suspicions were confirmed by the dark clouds and Christopher's return.

"Hey, Jay…" he muttered. "Sorry to interrupt, but it looks like rain. Your father will suspect something if we don't hurry back."

Cordelia appeared behind Chris. "Sorry you guys didn't get much time, but Chris is right. You're supposed to be at the play, Anita. If you come home soaked your parents won't let you out again."

Anita and Jayden looked at each other sadly and nodded. "Understood," both replied in unison. As royalty, they knew their duties. If they wanted any free time to spend with each other, they'd have to fulfill their regular roles first.

Everyone bid farewell to one another, save for Cordelia to Chris. Anita was slightly puzzled at this, but let it go for the moment. It was rather obvious something was troubling her friend, but she would be able to find out soon enough. With little less than a wave more, the two groups split and headed for their own kingdoms.

Jayden was quite for a short while, and then glanced at Chris when he was sure they were far enough from the girls. "You told her, didn't you?" he asked with a sad yet serious frown.

"Aye…now they'll know," Chris replied simply. Afterwards, neither spoke a word on their way back to the kingdom.

6


End file.
